Atrée

In the Greek Mythology, Atrée (in Greek old Ατρεύς / Atreús , “without fear”), wire of Pélops and Hippodamie, is king of Mycènes (or of Argos). He is the father of Agamemnon and Ménélas, and the founder éponyme of the line of the Atride S.

Myth

Atrée and its twin brother Thyeste obtained the throne of Mycènes in the absence of the king Eurysthée. In theory this regency should have been temporary but it became permanent with dead of the king during the conflict. The two brothers also assassinated their half-brother Chrysippe.

Atrée made the wish sacrifice its best lamb to Artémis. By seeking its herd, nevertheless, Atrée discovered a gilded lamb which it offered to his wife Érope, to dissimulate it with the goddess. She offered it in her turn with her lover, Thyeste, which convainquit then his/her brother to be appropriate that which will have the lamb would be king: Thyeste produced the lamb and claimed the throne.

Atrée recovered the throne while taking the advice of Hermes: Thyeste agreed to return the kingdom when the sun would go to back in the sky, a miracle which Zeus achieves. Atrée banishes Thyeste then.

Atrée then learned adultery from Thyeste and Érope and solved to be avenged. It killed wire of Thyeste and made them cook, preserving only their hands and their feet. It gave them to eat with his brother at the time of a banquet of reconciliation then showed him the cut members.

A oracle then announced in Thyeste that if it had a son of its own daughter Pélopia, this wire would kill Atrée. Thyeste generated this wire, Égisthe. Nevertheless, with the birth of Égisthe, the mother gave up her child, ashamed incestueux act. A shepherd discovered the child and gave it to Atrée which raised it like his/her son. It is only at the adulthood that the truth was revealed in Égisthe. Égisthe killed Atrée then.

According to certain sources, Atrée was the father of Plisthène. More usually, they are regarded as brothers.

Artistic evocations

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